<\/p>\n
There’s something for everyone as rock, rap, opera and a hit musical are some of the exciting performances coming to the UAE over the next few months.<\/p>\n
Saadiyat Nights<\/a> returns with its most impressive line-up yet, featuring RnB stalwarts Diana Ross<\/a> and Seal, as well as an acoustic performance by John Mayer<\/a>. <\/p>\n Elsewhere, the American Ballet Theatre will headline part of the 2026 Abu Dhabi Festival<\/a>, while hip-hop fans can look forward to a Dubai show from the Wu-Tang Clan as part of their final world tour.<\/p>\n Here, The National<\/i> rounds up the live events to look forward to.<\/p>\n The Rammstein frontman returns to Dubai for another explosive show that blends industrial rock with theatrical staging, with a set list focused on his solo catalogue.<\/p>\n Doors open 6.30pm; tickets from Dh300<\/i><\/p>\n The concert promises a night of sweet soul and majestic ballads as Diana Ross headlines Saadiyat Nights\u2019 first double-header. The US singer will bring selections from her six-decade career, spanning hits such as I\u2019m Coming Out<\/i> and Upside Down<\/i>, as well as classics made famous from her time with soul music pioneers The Supremes, including You Can\u2019t Hurry Love<\/i>. <\/p>\n British singer Seal opens the evening with a set built around his biggest hits, including Kiss from a Rose,<\/i> Crazy<\/i> and Love\u2019s Divine<\/i>, showcasing the depth of his songwriting and distinctive vocal style.<\/p>\n Doors open 5pm; tickets from Dh295<\/i><\/p>\n The Italian pianist and composer will bring his intimate scores to Saadiyat Nights. His set will draw from his latest album The Summer Portraits<\/i>, as well as signature pieces including I Giorni<\/i> and Nuvole Bianche<\/i>.<\/p>\n Doors open 5pm; tickets from Dh345<\/i><\/p>\n Hatim Ammor and Dounia Batma’s joint concert at Dubai Opera will bring two of Morocco’s leading contemporary voices to the city\u2019s flagship performing arts venue. Ammor is expected to perform material including Heeya<\/i>, while Batma will deliver songs such as Maziane Waer<\/i>. It will be a seated indoor concert with standard Dubai Opera entry and dress code requirements.<\/p>\n Doors open at 7pm; show starts at 7.30pm; tickets from Dh350<\/i><\/p>\n Egyptian pop star Tamer Hosny and singer-songwriter Maha Ftouni will perform at the picturesque waterfront amphitheatre in Sharjah. Hosny is one of the region\u2019s most commercially successful artists, with a catalogue of hits including Yana Ya Mafish<\/i>.<\/p>\n Show starts at 9pm; tickets from Dh200<\/i><\/p>\n Two generations of Egyptian music come together with veteran singer Mohamed Mounir joining forces with rapper Wegz, whose rise has heralded the latest evolution of the rich Egyptian hip-hop scene. Each will perform full solo sets, in addition to their collaborative track Kalam Forsan<\/i>.<\/p>\n Show starts at 8pm; tickets from Dh195<\/i><\/p>\n Lewis Capaldi will make his Abu Dhabi debut<\/a> as part of the concert series on Saadiyat Island. The Scottish singer-songwriter, known for hits like Someone You Loved<\/i> and Before You Go<\/i>, will also perform songs from his new album Something In The Heavens<\/i>.<\/p>\n Doors open at 5pm; remaining tickets from Dh1,990<\/i><\/p>\n Expect an evening of elegant ballads as Hany Shaker and Wael Jassar perform a joint concert drawing from more than three decades of work. Both artists are known for romantic ballads that draw multigenerational audiences.<\/p>\n Show starts at 9pm; tickets from Dh95<\/i><\/p>\n The American rockers return to the UAE for the first time in 15 years as part of their From Zero world tour. Founding members Mike Shinoda, Dave \u201cPhoenix\u201d Farrell and Joe Hahn will be joined by new vocalist Emily Armstrong and drummer Colin Brittain for a set spanning classics such as In the End<\/i> and Numb, <\/i>alongside tracks from their chart-topping comeback album From Zero<\/i><\/a>. <\/p>\n Doors open 6.30pm; tickets have sold out<\/i><\/p>\n British comedian Rob Beckett \u2013 referred to as \u201ceveryone’s favourite over-sharer\u201d \u2013 will be returning to the UAE for a new comedy special titled Giraffe<\/i>. The entertainer gained international exposure recently thanks to his well-received stint on the hit series LOL: Last One Laughing UK, i<\/i>n which he starred opposite fellow comedians Richard Ayoade, Bob Mortimer and Jimmy Carr.<\/p>\n Doors open at 5.30pm; tickets from Dh195<\/i><\/p>\n British singer-songwriter Tom Odell brings his piano-led balladry to Dubai as part of his A Wonderful Life Tour. He is best known for global hit Another Love<\/i> and songs blending confessional lyricism with stripped-back arrangements.<\/p>\n Show starts at 8pm; tickets from Dh295<\/i><\/p>\n The American singer-songwriter will make his UAE debut as part of the Saadiyat Nights concert series. A seven-time Grammy Award winner, Mayer is known for hits such as Gravity<\/i>, Your Body Is a Wonderland<\/i> and Slow Dancing in a Burning Room<\/i>. <\/p>\n Doors open 5pm; tickets from Dh345<\/i><\/p>\n Progressive metal band Dream Theatre bring their epic 40th anniversary tour with a three-hour, all-seated arena concert. The show will feature the band\u2019s classic five-piece line-up, with an interlude, drawing from their four-decade catalogue.<\/p>\n Doors open 6.30pm; tickets from Dh225<\/i><\/p>\n The Broadway hit tells the story of the witches of Oz through Stephen Schwartz\u2019s celebrated score and songs, including Defying Gravity<\/i>, Popular<\/i> and For Good<\/i>. Its Dubai Opera debut<\/a> brings a global phenomenon to regional audiences.<\/p>\n Evening and matinee shows available; tickets from Dh275<\/i><\/p>\n The one-day festival will be headlined by electrifying Lebanese chanteuse Yasmine Hamdan<\/a>, co-founder of cult duo Soap Kills, often credited with pioneering the Arab indie scene. She returns with the album I Remember I Forget<\/i>, and is joined by Al-Qasar, a Paris and Los Angeles-based collective blending Arabic psychedelia with North African rock, and Maruja Limon, a Barcelona band known for high-energy shows that fuse rumba, flamenco, salsa, electronics and pop. <\/p>\n Hamdan was also the inaugural guest on The National<\/i>‘s weekly podcast Tarab<\/i><\/a>.<\/p>\n Show starts 7.30\u202fpm; tickets from Dh\u202f52.50<\/i><\/p>\n Max Richter<\/a> returns to the UAE less than a year after his sold-out show at Dubai Opera<\/a>. The German-British pianist’s work spans from solo albums to award-winning scores for film, dance, art and fashion. His sound bridges both the acoustic and the electronic, as well as the human and natural worlds.<\/p>\n Richter, who was nominated for a Grammy in 2021, is expected to perform several career highlights including from critically acclaimed projects Illuminated Horizons <\/i>and In A Landscape.<\/i><\/p>\n Doors open 5pm; tickets from Dh195<\/i><\/p>\n Two acclaimed tribute productions will share the stage for a five-hour live show celebrating the catalogue of Fleetwood Mac and Dire Straits. Rumours of Fleetwood Mac is officially endorsed by founding member Mick Fleetwood, while The Dire Straits Experience features former band saxophonist Chris White.<\/p>\n Doors open 4pm; tickets from Dh295<\/i><\/p>\n Soft rock duo Air Supply will return to Dubai as part of their 50th Anniversary Celebration Tour. Formed in 1975 by Graham Russell and Russell Hitchcock, the group found worldwide success with ballads including All Out of Love<\/i> and Making Love Out of Nothing at All<\/i>.<\/p>\n Show starts 9pm; tickets from Dh199<\/i><\/p>\n Puerto Rican superstar Ricky Martin will make his Abu Dhabi debut at Saadiyat Nights. The Grammy and Latin Grammy Award-winner brings a three-decade catalogue of multilingual hits, from Livin\u2019 la Vida Loca<\/i> and The Cup of Life<\/i> to Maria<\/i> and Vente Pa\u2019Ca<\/i>.<\/p>\n Doors open 5pm; tickets from Dh295<\/i><\/p>\n Indian rapper and producer Yo Yo Honey Singh brings his My Story World Tour to Dubai, marking a major arena return. A dominant figure in Punjabi pop and Bollywood crossover music, he is known for high-energy anthems including Brown Rang<\/i> and Blue Eyes<\/i>.<\/p>\n Show starts at 8pm; tickets from Dh299<\/i><\/p>\n The one-day retro music festival gets bigger as it returns with a line-up of 1980s and 1990s pop acts led by Bananarama, Jason Donovan, Nik Kershaw and Go West.<\/p>\n Doors open 6pm; tickets from Dh399<\/i><\/p>\n1. Till Lindemann: January 4 at Coca-Cola Arena, Dubai<\/b><\/h2>\n
2. Diana Ross and Seal: January 9 at Saadiyat Nights, Abu Dhabi<\/b><\/h2>\n
3. Ludovico Einaudi: January 10 at Saadiyat Nights, Abu Dhabi<\/b><\/h2>\n
4. Hatim Ammor <\/b>and Dounia Batma: January 14 at Dubai Opera<\/b><\/h2>\n
5. Tamer Hosny <\/b>and Maha Ftouni: January 17 at Al Majaz Amphitheatre, Sharjah<\/b><\/h2>\n
6. Wegz <\/b>and Mohamed Mounir: January 17 at Coca-Cola Arena, Dubai<\/b><\/h2>\n
7. Lewis Capaldi: January 17 at Saadiyat Nights, Abu Dhabi<\/b><\/h2>\n
8. Hany Shaker<\/b> and Wael Jassar: January 18 at Space42 Arena, Abu Dhabi<\/b><\/h2>\n
9. Linkin Park: January 20 at Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi<\/b><\/h2>\n
10. Rob Beckett: January 22 at Dubai Opera<\/b><\/h2>\n
11. Tom Odell<\/b>: January 24 at Coca-Cola Arena, Dubai<\/b><\/h2>\n
12. John Mayer: January 24 at Saadiyat Nights, Abu Dhabi<\/b><\/h2>\n
13. Dream Theatre: January 27 at Coca-Cola Arena, Dubai<\/b><\/h2>\n
14. Wicked The Musical: January 28 to February 15 at Dubai Opera<\/b><\/h2>\n
15. Tamaas Festival: January 29 at NYU Abu Dhabi Arts Centre<\/b><\/h2>\n
16. Max Richter: January 29 at Saadiyat Nights, Abu Dhabi<\/b><\/h2>\n
17. Rumours of Fleetwood Mac and The Dire Straits Experience: January 30 at Bla Bla Dubai<\/b><\/h2>\n
18. Air Supply: January 30 at Coca-Cola Arena, Dubai<\/b><\/h2>\n
19. Ricky Martin: January 31 at Saadiyat Nights, Abu Dhabi<\/b><\/h2>\n
20. Yo Yo Honey Singh: February 6 at Coca-Cola Arena, Dubai<\/b><\/h2>\n
21. Rewind Fest<\/b> DXB 2026: February 7 at Bla Bla Dubai<\/b><\/h2>\n
22. Mariah Carey: February 7 at Saadiyat Nights, Abu Dhabi<\/b><\/h2>\n